Dog Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook.pdf - Mr. Walnuts

180 •DOG OWNER’S HOME VETERINARY HANDBOOK
Dogs with long hair around the face are
subject to eye irritation.
Aberrant eyelashes that grow
inward on the upper and lower eyelids
produce the same type of problem.
Treatment: The offending eyelashes
should be removed and their
roots destroyed through cryotherapy
(chemical freezing), electrolysis, or
surgery. Plucking them with bluntnosed
tweezers provides temporary
relief, but the eyelashes grow back in
about four weeks. Dogs who have had
their eyelashes permanently removed
cannot be shown in conformation.
FACIAL HAIR
Hair in the nasal folds may grow up
against the eyeball and rub against the
cornea. This tends to be a problem in
Poodles, Maltese, Yorkshire Terriers,
and in short-nosed breeds such as
Pekingese, Shih Tzu, Lhasa Apsos,
and Bulldogs. In Old English Sheepdogs and other breeds with long facial
hair, a similar problem can occur. The involved hair will be stained reddishbrown
by tears.
Treatment: The offending hairs should be removed by clipping, or, if the
hair is in the nasal folds, by surgery.
ENTROPION
This condition, in which the eyelids roll inward, is the most common congenital
defect of the eyelids. It can also be caused by injury and long-standing eyelid
infections that cause scarring. The abnormal eyelids produce irritation with
tearing and squinting. Corneal injuries are common from abrasion by the hairs.
It may be difficult to distinguish entropion from blepharospasm (see page
177). The best way to tell them apart is to administer a topical eye anesthetic.
If the inverted eyelids are caused by blepharospasm, temporarily blocking the
eye pain causes the inversion to disappear.
Breeds most commonly affected by entropion are the Chinese Shar-Pei,
Chow Chow, Great Dane, Great Pyrenees, St. Bernard, Bulldog, and the
hunting breeds. Most cases involve the lower eyelids. In dogs with large heads